My Go-To Challah Recipes

by alichava | Sep 17, 2020 | High Holidays, Menu Plan, Shabbat

Bread Machine Challah

Ingredients

Directions

 5lb Egg Challah

Ingredients

4 tbsp yeast or 4 (1/2 oz) packages of active dry yeast.
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water

5 lbs bread flour  + extra flour depending on climate if it is too sticky
2 tbsp & 2 tsp salt (I definitely have used only 2 tsp)
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
4 cups warm water
8 eggs
3 tbsp Vanilla (I don’t measure and just squeeze until it looks right)

Egg wash for challah: 1 – 2 eggs, vanilla (during RH, I add a squirt of Honey)

Directions

Proof the yeast: 

I use a 4 cup measure cup and place 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, 1 tbsp sugar. I wisk everything together, which is a tip I learned just recently and the yeast proofs so much better.

Mix:

1. In a large mixing bowl, oil the sides of the bowl.
2. Then add all of the dry ingredients and mix well.
3. Then add all the liquid ingredients.
4. Knead until smooth ball. Put in very large bowl & let rise until it is double. Put it near a warm place
5. Punch down.
6. Take a small piece of dough the size of an egg & recite the blessing for challah. Wrap it in aluminum foil & burn in oven. It should not be in the oven at the same time as the rest of the challot you will eat. Keep it wrapped & discard when burned.

Braid

Let is rise a 2nd time. 

Wash with egg wash

Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Times vary depending on the size of your challot.

Heavenly Challah (Vegan/Water)

Ingredients

7 Cups flour
2 tbs dry yeast
5-8 Tbs sugar (depending on desired sweetness)
2 ½ cups warm water
½ cup oil
1 tbs salt

Glaze:
1 egg beaten (sub maple syrup if you want it vegan)
Sesame seeds or poppy seeds

1. Place all ingredients except the salt in a large bowl. Begin kneading. When a ball of dough is formed, add the salt. Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft, but not sticky
2. Brush the dough and bowl with a bit of oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place for approximately 1 hour, until the dough doubles in volume. 
3. After the dough has risen, knead it for a few minutes. Roll pieces of dough into strands to be braided. To make more airy Challahs, roll out each strand into strips, approximately ¼ inch (about ½ centimeter) thick. Roll each strip Jellyroll fashion to form a tube and use these to braid the Challah.
4. Place the Challah in a pan. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds if desired. Cover and let them rise again in a warm place for approximately 40 minutes. In the meantime preheat the over to 350 degrees.
5. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the Challahs turn golden brown. Remove the Challah from the oven and from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is from the kitchen of Alina Spaulding. I usually fill with chocolate chips and roll out long strip and flatten with a rolling pin and spread filling and the roll together before I braid.